Pune Police Bust Marijuana Cultivation in Flat; Drugs Worth Rs 3.5 Crore Seized in Mumbai, Goa, Pimpri Chinchwad
Pune, 17th December 2025: Ahead of the New Year, Pune Police intensified their crackdown on drug trafficking and busted a hydroponic marijuana cultivation unit operating out of a rented apartment in Pimpri. Acting on a tip-off, police carried out raids across Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Mumbai and Goa, seizing narcotics worth an estimated ₹3.5 crore.
During the operation, police recovered hydroponic marijuana (O.G. Kush), mephedrone, charas, LSD and other narcotic substances. The accused arrested in the case have been identified as:
* Tushar Chetan Verma (21), resident of Sheetaladevi Nagar, Sus; native of Delhi
• Sumit Santosh Dedwal (25), resident of Madhuban Colony, Sangvi; native of Teacher Colony, Gangapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
• Akshay Sukhlal Maher (25), resident of Exurbia Township, Hinjewadi; native of Pragati Colony, Gangapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
• Malay Rajesh Deliwala (28), resident of Amrut Nagar, Ghatkopar, Mumbai
• Swaraj Anant Bhosale (28), resident of Khot Chawl, Kurla, Mumbai
Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar has directed strict action against habitual offenders involved in drug trafficking, particularly those targeting college-going youth in the city.
According to police, information was received that Tushar Verma was actively involved in drug peddling. A trap was laid in the Khadki area, leading to his arrest. During interrogation, Verma revealed the involvement of Sumit Dedwal and Akshay Maher, who were staying in a rented flat in Pimpri.
Further investigation revealed that Verma, Dedwal and Maher were cultivating hydroponic marijuana inside the apartment. Under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 4) Somay Munde, police raided the Pimpri flat and seized hydroponic marijuana plants, cultivation equipment and other related material.
Subsequent interrogation led police to the alleged main trafficker, Malay Deliwala. Police teams later apprehended Deliwala along with Swaraj Bhosale from Mumbai. Based on information obtained from the accused, raids were also conducted in Goa, where narcotic substances worth ₹3.45 crore were recovered.
The operation was carried out under the supervision of Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner Ranjankumar Sharma, Additional Commissioner Manoj Patil, DCP Somay Munde, Assistant Commissioner Vitthal Dabhade, Senior Police Inspector Vikramsingh Kadam (Khadki Police Station), Crime Branch Inspector Kiran Gaikwad, API Mudassar Patel, Sub-Inspector Digvijay Chaugule, Senior Police Inspector Chandrashekhar Sawant (Baner Police Station), Anti-Narcotics Squad Inspector Sudarshan Gaikwad, Inspector Prashant Annachhatre, Anti-Extortion Squad Inspector Varsha Deshmukh, Assistant Police Inspector Nitinkumar Naik, and other police personnel, with support from Sahar Police Station, Mumbai.
Bank Accounts Frozen
Police have frozen ₹7.80 lakh found in the bank accounts of the arrested accused. All the accused have been remanded to police custody. Investigators suspect links to an international drug trafficking network and are probing the case further.
Rising Trend of Hydroponic Marijuana
Police officials noted a sharp rise in cases related to hydroponic marijuana. Recently, hydroponic marijuana worth ₹2.29 crore was seized from a passenger at Pune International Airport. In another case, Customs officials detected marijuana concealed inside wafer boxes carried by a woman passenger. In Uttar Pradesh, an IT professional was also caught with marijuana while travelling by air.
Hydroponic marijuana is cannabis grown without soil, using nutrient-rich water in a controlled indoor environment. Police said smuggling of such high-potency cannabis from abroad has increased in recent years, with its consumption rising particularly among affluent sections.
